Are Libraries Becoming More Dangerous? 

To me its starting to feel like any public place in the USA is beginning to look like a war zone.

It’s a shame. I’ve always believed that a city’s most prized possession is always its library

You know we're in bad times if libraries aren't even safe to go to anymore

" a safe quiet place for learning" every school ever

I remember going to the library in the 80s. I felt so safe and comfortable while reading magazines about the world. The libraries in the 90s had video cassettes to rent. I could learn computer skills in the 2000s. Save the libraries.

this is sad . this place is supposed to be a sanctuary.

Years of pharmaceutical companies and doctors prescribing opioid pills like candy led to widespread addiction. Then, when the government cracked down, people turned to substances like crack for their addictive fix. Naturally, crime, homelessness, and drug use skyrocketed. The government ended a problem they had allowed to develop without implementing any safeguards. Now, we're all bearing the consequences, some more than others.

My local library is absolutely filled with homeless people sleeping in the bathrooms. Uncomfortable and extremely crazy!!

God bless that young man that perished while defending his friend.

I took my nephews to a "Story Time" at our local library. And guess who was there watching children? Someone on the SO registry. You bet I called the cops.

Homeless people hang out at our library during day time hours in winter. As far as I know they have never been an issue.

*_YES_* I work at the library almost every day, and it's insane. It's completely overrun by homeless people, which in itself isn't a bad thing, but more than half of them have absolutely zero respect for anyone else. They take up far more space than they need, and if they're not sleeping they're talking loudly and occupying an 8 person table by themselves so nobody else can use it. I understand why the librarians don't confront grown men that could hurt them, but they don't do anything to address the issue with teens running around either. There's two sides to the issue: On one hand, society needs to do something about these people outside of the library, and on the other... the librarians let it get this bad, and now they have to deal with the consequences.

I was sexually harassed at the library in 2007 in a small town. This is nothing new. Lots of sketchy people hang out there.

I called the police on a homeless man who was getting touchy with my fiance who looks underage and was sitting by herself. The library did not want to trespass him or call the police. They only stepped in keep me from harming him.

The library is one of the few remaining places one can go and not be expected to spend money. We lost most or third places (places not home or work/school) and we should not let fear take it away from us.

I used to hang out in the library with friends when I was a kid. I loved reading National Geographic magazines and Popular Science. My neighborhood library was the only place my mom would let me go alone and not worry about a thing.

Library, church, school and mall aren’t safe. I think there is just too many miserable broken people hurting people. Sad world we live in.

The Santa Ana public library has always been unsafe since I was a kid. Always a bunch of homeless by the only entrance and crime always happens in front of it. It’s a shame, because it’s a very nice library.

Back in the 90s, homeless folks would sleep in the college library during the day. Security soon followed. I get it but , I paid to be there and having to listen to someone snore like a freight train and the personal hygiene was too much.

Require library cards for access and block computers from pornography. That will eliminate most issues.

I used to be a public librarian in a high-crime area of town. I remember I was calling the cops three times a week or more at one point, to the point where I knew the 911 operators on a first-name basis. And this was in the 2010's. Now I teach elementary school, which is not only less stressful but pays better.

Cant even go to the libraries anymore, such same!

I scoffed at this headline, then went to the library and some guy was being chased out by security 😂 made me laugh

No no YOUR library is becoming a dangerous place. Stop making everyone feel like their library is dangerous.

We can't have nice things

since when did the library become a shooting range?

Imagine the libraries in San Francisco? The homeless capital of the world.

There's a reason why a record number of Americans say they want to leave the US

In Calgary we have a brand new hundred40 million $ library that is full of homeless people so nobody can go there. We went once and never been back.😢

Transients should not be allowed in public libraries period. It is not a shelter or drug den.

I lived for more than a decade in a third world country and these kind of things never happen. It was super unsafe but people still had respect for Churches, hospitals and libraries.

I used to be homeless myself, the library was a hotspot for us as it was open long hours and they didn't kick us out until closing time, good place to stay warm

A lot of homeless occupy the library.

The world is changing. It is no longer the safe and loving place I used to know. It is sad.

When you got a city that doesnt do anything to solve homelessness, mental health problems, this is what you get

And that is why I have not been to the public library in Los Angeles for 6 years.

the last time i went to the library there were a bunch of loud middle schoolers playing inappropriate hiphop in the teen section, it’s one of my favorite places to go and it makes me so sad :( we need a change!!

Only when they have stupid policies and/or don't enforce normal policies. Don't let the creepiest people ruin everything. It's not that hard.

Damn!!! Isn't there any place sacred anymore 😢 😡

Pretty soon we will have to close all public spaces like this. Welcome to the USA 2024, where nobody cares about crime and the criminals have all the rights.

This makes me so sad.

i’m pretty sure that this is only in major cities.

This world is becoming more lawless

i never thought a library as a scary place. that's sad.

Everyplace is getting more dangerous.

Yes because i was almost attacked by a homeless woman who tried to take my shoes. I stop going to library 4 years ago

I was at my local library a few months ago and some guy was rolling joints in the middle of the library. When the security guard came to kick him out, he was apparently surprised that he couldn't be rolling joints in a public library and was resistant to leave💀💀💀I guess people acting like idiots in libraries isn't just a thing where I live

Goddam even the library is now a Warzone. What’s next?

this is insane

This stuff has been happening for decades.

It’s a shame. Throughout history, a city’s most prized possession is always its library

This is part of the reason why many libraries have closed 🥺😩

It’s such a shame. I grew up always going to the library and I have so many fond memories there :(

IT's shocking that the place where people want to read peacefully have to see something like this.

And our politicians tells us everything is great....economy is great...crime is great...nothing to worry about.

All the homeless causing problems in there, they infest Las Vegas Libraries here.

No freaking way, Inside Edition actually went to Middletown, NY to visit our library. I wish I was there at the time 😅

What happens when you go soft on crime and let repeat ofender out.

Yes more fear stoking. I've worked at a library, and calling the cops for a number of things is fairly common. I would like to know just how many of those 500 calls were for a violent incident or safety concern or were for something far more mundane.

This is really sad… I remember when libraries were a safe place to come to and enjoy media of all kinds

The San Diego library has homeless encampments right outside the front door, and is less than 5 blocks from a street-side tent city.

I work for a library as a Library Assistant and the amount of drama that happens at the library is crazy. One would think that the library would be a quiet place. Usually 85% off the time it is. But there’s that small amount that can be a bit of a problem. I know the library showed in the video.

I live in Alabama and a homeless woman sleeps in the bathroom in one of the libraries. I have seen her in a Walmart before on a bench and going through the trash. It’s so sad.😢 I told the library staff and they said she is harmless. Apparently they can’t keep her out.

If you want to learn about drugs, visit your local library. There’s probably a guy behind the library who sells drugs.

It's not the library. It's the neighborhood- fact.

Was waiting at a public library for my daughter. She and her friends would walk there after school, which was just two buildings away. The security guard and I started chatting and she showed me a HUGE binder filled with photos of known pedophiles who lived in the area. She said every day she has to call police on at least five pedos trying to get close to kids there. She said of course they all know when school gets out. This is a small city, less than 100,000 people on an island most consider a tropical paradise with old-fashioned values. If that's happening here, it must be horrors on the Mainland.

When she said a California city, it all made sense.

Pretty happy our library is close to a police station

When a state is soft on crime this happens.

Never confront someone over a materialistic item wtf especially in dangerous places like CA

I got attacked by someone in a Library while studying while in university a few years ago. On top of that there was a LOT of crime, drugs. Never went back and started studying at home only.

WTAF? Aw, that poor cute kid 😥

From South carolina here.. I go to the library just about every week to work and just to have a quiet place to study and yes it is full of crackheads Ann Street walkers the sheriff's department has somebody stay there all the time because of it

What a damn shame. This library is absolutely stunning

I went to that exact library in SD a few years ago and was surprised at how many homeless people were inside. A dude was literally asleep right outside the bathroom on the floor.

i’m scared that soon in america, there’ll be no places to go for fun anymore and it’ll all be online

I havet been to my donetowen library in 9 years it's next to a homeless shelter and someone in the parking lot got killed.

The same thing has been going on in the downtown Dallas library for years.

Even 20 years ago my mom wouldn’t let me visit the county library unattended since it had become an encampment for homeless and drug users.

Probably depends on what city you live in.

How did I know it would be downtown San Diego. The whole city has growing pockets of shantytowns and downtown has been hit the worse.

I used to love going to the library as a kid. Sad this is happening, and kids today don’t get to enjoy it the same way in big cities.

Give the homeless homes! 😡😡😡 It's a basic human necessity.

Used to work at the RVA main library and someone overdosed in one of the single stall bathrooms. It’s a hub for the homeless and drug addicts people used to try and hide or sleep there for the night. Most of the time if you’re nice to them they’re nice to you worse thing is the smell and bedbugs

I never wouldn't thought libraries would be this way..unreal

When I was young, many people in my country wanted to immigrate to the United States. Now, it just seems so chaotic and unsafe.

I took my kids to the library in my town shortly after moving there. There was literal poop smeared on the walls in the kids section so I went to the librarian and told her, her response was "yeah, we know"... we promptly left and never went back. Occasionally we see petitions for increasing the funding for the library, I just want to know how much tax money you need to get the poop off the walls and I'll gladly oblige.

I have worked for a library for over 10 years, this is nothing new...

I feel a cash Jordan video incoming 😅

That's very tragic to see even libraries aren't safe anymore 😢

Next thing you know we're going to need security guards and TSA quality scanners to enter the library

The library in Downtown Orlando has been crime infested with homeless people since the mid 90s! Got worse in the 2010s and 2020s!😮

What did you expect Calif, you defunded the police.

My son is a director of library activities in a large Canadian city. Except for libraries like the Carnegie, which were DESIGNED for the coming and going of many people (food court, large bathroom facilities, meeting rooms open to the public, and quiet rooms (and now computer rooms supervised), regular libraries simply were not designed to absorb street people looking for a place to hang, doze, and usually there's only ONE commode on each floor. It get taken over by someone nodding off. It reflects how changes we're dealing with today affect all kinds of other interactions in cities.

Wow this is nuts. Gives a whole new meaning to checking out

It depends on the city and the neighborhood. But, it's always been a place sketchy people hang out at. Nothing new here 😒

Kids being safe at school is a thing of the past 😢it’s sad that the newer generations will get used to hearing abt shootings at school so often💔

I love librarians because they’re safe people.

My mom was a librarian and she's had some crazy stories to share. Only from recent years

Library=homeless-hangout